Real Football (Soccer to you Yanks) Thread

[Tuffdisc]

Phil Brown (former Hull manager who wasn't very good at all) has called Andrea Pirlo homophobic for not wanting to play in the Premier League.

[video=youtube;bu7LquvfeQA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu7LquvfeQA[/video]

A dictionary might be a good place to start, Phil.

Erm, perhaps scoring cheeky penalties like he did against England (how ironic) maybe says that Italian is a lot more healthier in the wealth of skill than the EPL

And yes, a dictionary is a good place to start.

 

[Springsteen]

I wouldn't go as far as to say it's wealthier in terms of skills, because I think the chipped penalty is a one off thing, but it does show he has balls.

 

[Zorak]

Phew!!!!!!! An over-rated player, namely David Beckham is not going to be part of the GBR Olympic football team. The last thing we want is that player getting all the attention to himself and not getting too far....

It's the olympics though, it's not serious.

Beckham should be there if he wants. Stuart Pearce should bend over backwards to accomodate whatever Beckham wants. The guy is a legend: a consumate pro and the last decent England captain.

Is Bellamy there? Because that's an afront to decency. Bellamy is sub-human scum.

 

[Springsteen]

Beckham put a lot off effort into setting up the whole thing, so really should be there as a thank you if nothing else, he's a great pro. To be fair to Bellamy and Giggs (and any other Welshman) it's the only time they'll be going to a tournament (if you can call it that) so it's a nice gesture.

 

[Zorak]

Wales is a part of England so they shouldn't be represented at all

 

[Springsteen]

I like to think of Wales as a colony.

 

[porterjack]

I like to think of Wales as a colony.

or a colonoscopy?

 

[Springsteen]

No, definitely a Colony

 

[porterjack]

i was thinking of New South Wales

 

[retro]

So what do you Brits think about Beckham being left off of the Olympic team?

 

[porterjack]

So what do you Brits think about Beckham being left off of the Olympic team?

Really?
I am surprised
Loss of ticket revenue gotta hurt

Lets face it , nobody who takes the game seriously ever remembers soccer medal winners ,i know home pride and all that shit but it still means nothing compared to the world cup

 

[retro]

Really?
I am surprised
Loss of ticket revenue gotta hurt

Lets face it , nobody who takes the game seriously ever remembers soccer medal winners ,i know home pride and all that shit but it still means nothing compared to the world cup

Having talked to people that have represented their country in the Olympics, they say that the opportunity to represent their country in the Olympics is like nothing else.

 

[porterjack]

Having talked to people that have represented their country in the Olympics, they say that the opportunity to represent their country in the Olympics is like nothing else.

From an individuals perspective, no doubt but from a fans point of view it means little

Same with baseball

 

[Zorak]

Having talked to people that have represented their country in the Olympics, they say that the opportunity to represent their country in the Olympics is like nothing else.

Since all of these footballers already represent their real countries in proper football competitions, I imagine its more to do with being a part of the moment and getting on TV and stuff.

 

[Springsteen]

Mostly yeah. I mean the Olympics for the other athletes in all the other events, this is THE pinnacle on the sport, the Olympic games. But for the footballers in this....well, it might seem kinda meh, given football already has the World Cup (The main pinnacle of International football), European Championships, the Copa America, the Confederations Cup and so on and so forth. This therefore shouldn't be taken that seriously, even if you're like Ryan Giggs or Aaron Hughes who have never been to a tournament before. Which is why there's no harm in taking Beckham too, he'd certainly shift more tickets. But you'll still have players like Messi and Neymar there.

 

[TGLucario475]

I'm not too bothered if Beckham is left out or not, he's just there for the fame. >.> Then again, I'm not a big follower of England/Britain in major events anymore and couldn't give a toss.

 

[Zorak]

I'm not too bothered if Beckham is left out or not, he's just there for the fame.

That is quite unfair. You could tell that every time Beckham played for England, it meant something to him. He never retired from international football, he always said he never would turn down the opportunity to participate with his country. Compare that to some of his contemporaries; who retire from international football at the age of 28 and turn down chances to go to major competitions because they might start on the bench.

 

[TGLucario475]

That is quite unfair. You could tell that every time Beckham played for England, it meant something to him. He never retired from international football, he always said he never would turn down the opportunity to participate with his country. Compare that to some of his contemporaries; who retire from international football at the age of 28 and turn down chances to go to major competitions because they might start on the bench.

I've got nothing against him but I believe he sold himself out when he moved to L.A. Galaxy.

 

[retro]

I've got nothing against him but I believe he sold himself out when he moved to L.A. Galaxy.

Sold out? He moved to a league that desperately needed some star power and has actually done a ton to bring visibility to the sport over here. Of course, I could be a bit biased, since I'm a Galaxy fan and he contributed mightily to us winning the MLS Cup last year.

 

[Springsteen]

Beckham was already a huge star way before he moved to LA. It really started in the 90's, only it just wasn't as noticeable. As a financial asset, Beckham is huge, he's as big as you can get. When he moved to Real Madrid in 2003, Real's shirt sales soared, and overtook Manchester United's. They made something like 45% of their total income from shirt sales every year that Beckham was there. I wouldn't say he sold out anyone.